Flanking vane for ships



June 17,1930. c. E. WARD 1,764,913

FLANKING VANE FOR SHIPS Filed Dec. 30, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZSnuentor /zarletsli' 7Va'rd J e 1930- c. E. WARD 1,764,918

FLANKING VANE FOR SHIPS Filed Dec. 30, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnventdr CZ/arZe r l7 71am? Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATE CHARLES E. WARD, or CHARLESTON, wnsr VIRGINIA rLANKING-vAnE FOR SHIPS.

Applicationfiled December 30, 1929. Serial No. 417,500. i

1o will be more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims; 7

Referring to the; accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecificationan whlch like numerals designate like parts mall the views,- I I p Fig. 1Iis a side elevatlon of the stern of a towboat ofthe tunnel type to which th s inventionhas been applied; I

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the parts 2:) shown in Fig. 1;

, 3 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view of the stern-illustrating, the arrangement of parts for straight ahead steering; Fig-4 is a view similar to F1g. 3 show- Z ing the arrangementof parts for moderate flanking movement in one dlrection; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Flg. 4 Illustratin the arrangement of parts fOITIltLXl- 'mum anking'in the same direction;

Fig. 6 is aview similar to Fig. 3 showing the disposition of parts for stralght back- I ing; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic transverse sec-" .tional view taken as on the line 7- of Fig.

35 l and looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating of the boat. I I I In order thatthis invention may be the better understood it is said that with towthe tunnel type of construction e boats andparticularly those; ofthetunnel type of construction such as disclosed in the U. S. Letters Patent 1,559,660 granted November 3, 1925' to Charles E. Ward for rudder construction for tow-boats, the flank- 4 ing movement of the boat to port or starboard is accomplished by a difference in ro tation of the screwsin conjunction with the settingof the'rudders whereby the flow of water, from said screws, strikes the fiatsides to of the rudders in such manner as to cause vessel. modification'or amplification of the propulsion and control of, a tow-boat to produce a more pronounced and therefore a more efficient flanln'ng movement thereof which is of particular advantage on rivers having a tortuous or winding course, and in connection with the docking of heavy freight cargoes. y

The tow-boat to which this invention is peculiarly adaptedis of the usualand well known construction wherein the hull 1 is provided at the stern with anupwardly extending bottom 2 which terminates in a stern horizontal bottom 3.-which is just below the surface ofthewater. V In the'type illustrated there are provided twin shafts 4; and respectively provided with the screws 6 and 7 located adjacent the stern: strut bearings 8 and 9, said screws being disposedin tunnels 10 and 11 of substantially semi-circular cross section and formed as shown in dotted lines in 'Fig. 1 by an upward extension of the inclined stern bottom. Rudders 12'and 13 are disposed respectively to the rear of, and in line with, thescrews 6 and7, the

center of the rudder posts being indicated b the dot'and dash line let in Fig; 1.

Immediately forward of each screw there is provided a gang of flanking vanes of curvilinear cross section which are so disposed relative to each other and the associated screw that the water from the latter -will be deflected by said vanes, when in lowered position, to cause anincreaselin the flanking action. That is tiosay, the screw 6 has associated therewith a gen of vanes (four as shown in Fig. 2) two 0 which and 21 are disposed on one side of the propeller shaft: 4 and the other. pair 22 and 23 ofwhich are located on the opposite side of said shaft. These vanes are all of substan' tially the same size, are curvilinear in cross section as clearly shown, and are of-a length to extend from the lowermost reach of the screw upwardly through guide openings in the hull to a point above the deck to permit actuation of the vanes from said deck, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The individual NT. OFFICE the desired movement of the stern of the I This inventionis directed to a ill ticular type of boat, and therefore it is-not desired to be limited to any particular setting except one which will cause the wheel water from thescrew to-be deflected by the.

vanes in a direction to .the side of the boat whereby the flanking movement of the stern is increased.

The particular mounting for each vane isimmaterial although it will be understood that suitable rollers and guides, not shown, will be provided for'substantially frictionless vertical movement of each vane through the hull. In Fig. 1 there hasbeen illustrated one means for'mounti'ng and actuating the vanes, comprising a suitable rigid structural frame the upper portion of which serves as a guide for each vane, and withinsaid frame and closeto each vane there is mounted a hydrauhc' ram or simi- .larelevating device 26 the piston 27 of which is adapted to engage an angular extension 28 from a vane, so thatwhen the piston moves upwardly theassociated vane may .be raised to a position so that it will not intercept any wheel water or, in other wor.ds, the bottom- 24 of the vane will be retracted within the hull of the Vessel, the vane in its raised position being indicated in dotted'lines at30 in Fig. 1." When the vane. is desired lowered the pressure is relieved from under the piston 27 of the elevating device 26 whereupon the vane will move downwardly, due to its weight, into operative position and in this movement the vane will depress the piston 27 into its cyl inder, the lowermost position ofthe piston regulating the lowermost position; of the associated vane. Fluid for each ra-m'is admitted thereto through suitable connections indicated in Fig. 1 at 31' and 32. V

.. The other screw -7 has associated therewith, and forwardly thereof on opposite sides of its shaft5, a pair of vanes 35'and 3.6 which likewise are set in a line angularly disposed with relation to said shaft'and substantially parallel to the setting of the gang vanes above described. The vanes 35 and 36 are exactly similar in construction to said gang vanes associated with'the screw 6, and each of the vanes 35' and 36 is actuated by a duplicate of' the elevating device 26 above described.

the devicesfor the port gang vanes' to .establish simultaneous control'of the vanes'20,

ated with the screw 6 as indicated in Fig. 4.

In similar manner the screw 7 has associated therewith a gang of vanes 40, 41, 42 and 43 arranged in a line angularly disposed to the shaft 5, the vanes 40 and 41 being on one side of said shaft and the other vanes 42 and 43 vbeing on the other side thereof. Further these vanes. are of the same size, shape and construction as those of the, gang associated with the screw 6. However, the angular setof these two gangs of vanes is asymmetrical as contra-distinguished from parallel. In other words, the lines of both gangs would cross at a point midway between the shafts 4 and 5. Likewise thescrew 6 has associated therewith a pair of vanes'45' and-46 disposed on opposite sides of the shaft 4 forward of the" screw, saidgpair being angularly' set in a line with respect to said shaft, and said pair being identical with the pair 35" and 36 but asym-' metrically disposed thereto as contradistinguished from parallelly disposed thereto. Further each'of the vanes-40, 41, 42, 43, 45 and 46. are mounted in-a frame such as indicated at 25 and adapted to pass through the hull of the vessel, bein elevated by a device identical with'rthe device '26 above described, see Figs. 1 and 2.

The elevating devices of each gang of vanes may be and are preferably interconnected with a common fluid pressureline so that the vanes of each gang will be raised or lowered simultaneously. Further, the elevating devices for the starboard vanes 35 and 36 may be serially connectedwith 21, 22, 23-, 35 and36. Likewise the port vanes 45 and 46 may be operated simultaneously-with the starboard gang vanes. In

7 v in: other words, for some typesof boats it i *may be highly desirable to have the starboard gang vanes or those associated with the screw 7 operate simultaneously and equally with the port pair of vanes 'associ- 11 On the other hand, it is within the scope of this inventionto control the fluid pressure to the several elevating devices sothat the starboard gang vanes may be operated independently of the port pair of vanes.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3 there is disclosed the arrangement of parts for ahead steering. ;That is to say, the screws 6 and 7 are rotati'ng'in the directions 0 indicated on their shafts 4 and 5 so that the wheel water is being forced astern in the direction indicated by the dotted arrows. Further the rudders 12 and 13 are set straight and all flanking vanes are" raised 12?: completely within the hull so that the riidders furnish the only means'for steering the vessel which, therefore, takes a forward course as indicated; by the heavy arrow.

The positions of the vanes have not been have made the i i H In Fig. 4 there is illustrated the arrangement of parts fornioderate flankin to port, 11 or in the direction indicatedby t eheavy 1 arrow.

indicated in thisfiguresince to do so would diagram complex.

it This is accomplished by rotating both screws v6 and 7 in thereverse manner to that shown in l board gang of vanes as well'as theiportpair movement of the stern of the vessel to Itistobe f rudders 12 and Ioi vaneshave,'however,been lowered from V the hull and are extending lnto 'thewater to receive the flow thereof from the screws;

The vanes thus brought into position present theirconcave surfaces to the flow of the wheel water lateral direction which accomplishes the ort all as clearly indicated. Obviously if this produces toomuchfianking movement, the port pair of vanes need not be brought into position. 7

In Fig. is disclosed the arrangement of parts to produce maximum flanking to port. Here the port screw is being rotated to force water astern and the rudder 12 associated with said screwis set over to re ceive the wheel water and deflect the same in a direction tostarboard as indicated by fl the dotted arrows, thus producing some movement of the stern of the vessel to port. However, and in order to obtain themaximum flanking to port, the starboard gang and the starboard screw 7 is rotated to force water ahead, and the rudder 13 associated therewith is put over to starboard.

with and being deflected laterally, as inclicatedby the dotted arrows, which augments the port noted that the is left retracted within vi ously they would serve the hull, for ohno useful purpose the port screw. 7

Coming now to Fig. 6 there is shown dia grammatically the arrangement of parts for straight backing. All vanes have been withdrawn into the rotating to force the water ahead, and the 13 are set straight.

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that by this invention there is provided a plurality of readily replaceable vanes which i are bodily retractable within the hull of the vessel when not desired in use but which may be extended from said hull, by any suitable means, to a position to receive the water from the wheels or screws and to deflect said water either to port or to starboard as desired thus augmenting the action rigidly cross-connected and "ing device'employed for operating the-conand deflect the same in a,

boats ofother vanes as described built in at such positions;

poses defined. placed fore or :ing for the screw shaft.

widthof of vanes is lowered into operative position flanlri'n to a maximum de ree. 23 p a port pair OI vanesmeans being hull, the screws 6 and 7 are of the wheels or screws and the rudders in accomplishing: flanking movement of the vessel.

nient of a rackrigidlyudisposed on each vane and engaged nection with other ablesource, .Also pendently operated pinions, from any suiteach vane "may be "indeor several vanes may be a. single e 1evat nected "anes. Although this invention has been described as applied to a tow-boat provided with a tunnel, itIS apparent that construction may have the as tocoo'perate with the screws for thepuraft of each screw, although it ismost desirable to have them placed on the side of the screw irrespective-of the location'of the strutbear- V Lastly itiis not desired to be limited to the exact angularity ofthe set of vanes since the feature desired is a placement of said vanes to obtain a de-p ectio'n up to of thecolumn of water from thescrews Thereforeinot only may the vanes be disposed at different angles, but

' their curvature may be altered and the each vane may be varied inaccord :1.

ance withvthe particular service in which they are incorporated. 1 Itgisobvious that those "skilled in the art maysvary the details of construction as well as arrangementsof parts without departing from the s'piritwof the invention, and it is for raising, or lower-,- ing, .orrfor both raising and lowering said v vanes may be :utilizedincludingthe employ- Fig. I 3 with the result that the wheeliwater isforcedahead as indicated by thedo tted arrows. The rudders l2 and 13 are set straight.'-"Theistara pinion receiving, power, either independently or; in serial con-,-

opposite to the rudder,

Further the vanes could be therefore not desired to be limited to the i foregoing except asmay be required by the claims. f

* What is claimed is:

'1. Auxiliary *provided with if brought down into thepath of water to a said means being slidable into the hull oi provided with a propeller and a rudder, said Vertically retractable into the hull of the vessel. j

- 3. Auxiliary flanking means for vessels provided with a propeller and a rudder, said means comprising a vane slidable into the hull-of the vessel.; i

4. Auxiliary flanking 'means for vessels provided with a propeller and a rudder, said means comprising a vane angularlyset with 3 respect to the flow-of the wheel water, said vane being slidable into ther hull of the vessel.

,5. Auxiliary flanking means: for vessels provided with a propellena driving shaft flanking means for vessels J a propeller and a rudder,

said rudder,

I 7. Auxiliary flanking means for vessels provided :with a propeller and a rudder, said means comprising a curved vane retractable into the hull of the vessel.

8. ,A-uxiliary flanking means for vessels provided with a propeller, a driving shaft therefor, and a rudder, said means comprising a plurality of vanes difierently directed, said vanes disposed on opposite sides of said shaft, said vanes being retractable into the hull of the vessel.

and means retractable into :the 'hull of the vessel to augment the efiort of said rudders.

17. In a'vessel 'thecombination of a plurality of propellers ,independently operated rudderseone associated with each propeller; and means retractable into. the hull of the vessel toychange the flow of propeller water established by said rudders.

18. In 'a-vessel the combination of a plurality oil? propellers; independently operated rudders, one associated with each propeller; and means retractable into the hull of the vessel and cooperating, with said rudders to change the flow of water to and from said propellers.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature.

CHARLES E. WARD.

9. Auxiliary flanking means for: vessels provided with @a propeller and a rudder, I

said means being slidable into the hull of the vessel and mounted for ready replacement.

10. In a vessel the combination of a propeller, a rudder associated with said wheel; and means slidable into' the path of the wheel water to) augment the action of said rudder. a

11. In a vesselthe combination of a propeller; a rudder associated with :said propeller; and means movable into, the. path of the, propeller to augment the action-of said means having a constant angular set with respect ;to the rotational plane of said propeller. a v 1 12. In a vessel the combination of a propeller; a rudder associated with said-propeller; and means slidable into. the path of the propeller water to augment the action of said rudder.

13. In a vessel the combination propeller; a rudder associated with said propeller; and means slidable into the path of the propeller Water to establis'hdefiecting channels therein, said means augmenting the action of said rudder.

14. In a vessel the combination of a propeller; a rudd r a sociated -with saidepropeller', and means comprising a plurality of vanes li ableinto the path of the propeller water to establish substantially equal defl c ing hannels therein, said vanes augmenting the actiono said rudder.

' 1 5- a essel the combination of a pma peller; a rudder associated with said propeller; and comprising aiplurality of anes arranged in groups, each group zmovable into the path of the wheel water each group. tov differently augment the action of said rudder.

16. In a vessel the combination of a plura'lit of propellers ;'i:ndependently operated rnd ers one associated with each propeller; 

